Tiltable and dirigible headlight



April 17, 192s. f 1,666,856

' T. C. HOLLIDAY TILTABLE AND DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed June 16. 1925 2 sheets-snee*v 2 71C; MQ-day.

'ATI'ORNEYS atingv mechai'iismfrom Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES riioivi SSSIPPI.

s. o. HOLVLIDAY, or CANTON, Mississirrr, AssiGNon fro HOLLIDAY Liri; snr/'ING HEADLIGHT co., or JACKSON, irrississiiri, A coitrcmi'rioN or Mis- TIALTABLE AND IIIIKRIGiIBIEl HEADLIGHT.

Application filed June 16, 192,5. Serial. No. 37,567.

This invention relates to animprovement in headlights of the type forming the subject-matter of my prior Patent No. 1,607,- 349 dated Nov. 16, 1926, for dirigible headlight. Y y

An object of vthe invention is to provide an improved dirigible headlight of this character which is so constructed and, organized that it kmay be tilted to throw the beams of light downwardly'when approaching and Apassing another vehicle or at Aany other time that such action is desirable. This advantage is had and at the same time the lights are rigidlysupported and mamtained in their-normal position so as toeliminate noise or vibration. f

A further object resides in the provision of a headlight having these advantages and capacities and Which'has associated witliits operating mechanisme novel form' of speed reduction gearing adapted to impart to the headlights the proper movement ywhen .the vehicle is steered, the speed reduction gearing being i'eleasalole to disconnect the operi the steering gear when desired. v

A .still further object resides in the provision of a headlight of the'character specified which is of simple and durable construction,lr.eliable and noiseless ink operation and easy and comparatively inexpensiveito manufacture and install. i v

Other objects and ladvantages residein certain ynovel yfeaturesof the construction, arrangementv and combination of parts f which will .be hereinafter more fully Ldescribed and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being-had to thelaccompanying drawings forming 4a part of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side 'elevation and partly in section showing an embodiment of .the invention, Y p Figure 2 is a fragmentaryrview partly in .side elevation and partly in section illustrating la means employed for tilting the,

headlights, l

Figure Sis a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the parts embodying the present invention, and

Figure 4 is a view partlyinv elevation and partly in section showing one of theV lamps or headlights tilted.V

Referring to the drawings the Ynumeral 1V designates generally an automobilel ywhich y may be 'anytype of motor Vehicle and whichV 756,056, to which reference is had for a fuller `explanation-of the means for lmounting andv swinging the headlights from Ithe steering gear of the vehicle.Y y.The present invention proposes to make 'thelieadlights 2 tiltalole as 4well as dirig-ble and for this purpose the post of eachjheadlight has its upper vend enlarged,ras atl 4, and*providedA with a centrallyl located apertured lugor earwhich is fitted in` between similar lugs or ears 6 integral with or suitably connected to a steel `plate 8 riveted,as at 9, to the casing 10 of the/headlight.' A

pivot bolt 11 is inserted 4tlirougrgghtlie aligned 1 f apertures of .the lugs o r ears 5 and. 6 and is held against displacement-bymeans of a 1ii'1t12`.v yAt the `juncture ofthe lug 5 and.: theV enlarged 'portion 4 fiat horizontal' shoulders 13" are formed and are engageable with similarly formed Y.portions 14l on. the: lugs 6 to limit the swinging movement of each( headlight in one direction to a position where its kbeam isprojected `horizontally or where its beam is projected at'the small y angle to the horizontal required by the tralic regulations,- or in other words', the shoulder 13Y and the portions 14f'of the Sli'igsw limit thel swinging movement of each yheadlight 10 to normaliposition.' Forwardly the lugs 6 are rounded olf, as lat 15, to permitV the headlights to swing in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing so that tilting of the headlights maybe effected.

Means for tiltingtheheadlights and forr rigidlyholding them in normal position is provided and as this means is practicrvally the same for the two headlights. a single description Awill serve for the' common features of each.`

V,ii-pair of threaded studs, designated at 16 fand 17,'-is providedV in conjunction'with each headlight, the studs 16 and17 being threadedinto the opposite endrof an internally threadedsocket 18 extending fore and aft through the' enlarged portion 4 of the post 3; Nuts 19 `and 2,0 hold y.the studs 16` and 17 in proper adjustment# A short threaded rod 20 has' its lower end pivotally connected,

as at 21, to the stud 16 and the upper end of this rod 20 has a loose sliding lit in a flanged opening 22 provided in the plate 8. The rod 2O operates through the opeiiing 22 and through an opening 23 in the casing 1() and in the space or clearance 24 provided between the reflector 25 and the cas ing 10. @n the rod 2O a heavy compression coil spring 26 is arranged and is placed under considerable tension or compression in the assembly, one end of the coil spring engaging the Yflange. around the opening 22 and-the other end being engaged by a tensioning nut 27 threaded on the rod 20 and pinned, as at 23, to the rod so as to be securely held in its adjustment.

The outer end ot the stud 17 is bifurcated and receives between its bifurcations one end of a link 30 to which it is pivotally connected, as indicated at 31. The other end of the link 36 is pivotally connected, as at 32, to a piston 33 operativelylitted ina Acylinder 34 securely fastened-to the plate 3.' Suitable packing is provided between the piston-33 and the cylinder 34 to insure a 'Huid-tight lit between these parts.

rlhe cylinder 34 and'piston 33 constitute elements of hydraulic operating mechanism for thelight tilting means, this mechanism also including a flexible pipe or other suitable conduit 35 having branches 36 leadingv to the cylinders 34. The conduit 35 is connectedlto one end of the cylinder 37 oic a pump 38 which may be conveniently fastened by'a clamp 39 to the steering post 40. A plunger 41 is operatively iitted in the cylinder 37l of the pump 33 and has a plunger rod 42 projecting exteriorly of the cylinder and connected by a pin and'slot arrangement or other suitable orm'otconnection to one end of an operating lever 44 i'ulcrumed, as at 45, on a mounting 46 carried by the steering post. TheV lever 44 has a handle 47 and also carries a spring latch 48 co-operable with a quadrant 49 to hold the lever 47 in adjusted position. Oil or other suitable fluid is used to lill the hydraulic mechanism, the oil or other fluid completely filling the cylinder 34, the pipe 35 and its ybranches y36 and the cylinder 37 of the oil pump 38.

With this arrangement the spring 26 holds the headlight in its normal position until the lever 46 ismanipulated to force the oil from the oil pump 33 into the cylinder 34 which displaces the cylinder 34 and the lamp upwardly about the pivot 10 or in other words swings the lamp in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings. This action continues until the convolutions of the spring 26 engage each othery or in other words until the spring is closed when the spring positively stops further swinging movement of the lamp and limits the downwardV tilting movement thereof. When the lever 46 is moved back to its original thereon and releasably fastened thereto by4 means ot a thumb rscrew or set screw threaded through the hub or collar of the gear and engageable with the countershat 56. A similar small gear 61 is mounted on the steering post and is fixed to turn with the steeringpost by means of a thumb Vscrew 62 which also maybe readily manipulated to release the gearv 61.

`With the design of steering gear employed with automobiles equipped withv balloon tires this arrangement is especiallyadvantageous asit serves to properly move the headlightsto the desirable range when the vehicle is steered. The arrangement has the further advantage ot' being readily releasablc to disconnect the steeringgear o`r the steering post thereof from the operating mechanism for the'headlights.4 J

This design of steering gear also makes it easy to yobtain the exact and proper adjustment required and is especiallyadvantageous over spur gears where the size of. the teeth make it difficult to obtain the exs` act adjustment as even one tooth out ofthe way would make one light pick up quicker thanv the other whichwould, ofcourse, be undesirable. With the spur gears adjuste ment may be had to insure proper movement of both lights. l claim: l 1. ln combination with a headlight, means for mounting the headlight for tilting movement downwardlyl and forwardly, a stud se-A cured on said means, a rod pivoted to the stud and having sliding engagement with the headlight, a spring on the rod for urging the headlight. to normal position, a'second stud also carried by said means, a cyl-` inder fixed to the headlight casing, a piston` fitted in the cylinder, a link'between the piston and the second stud, a manually operable pump mounted Aon thesteeringpost of an automobile and connected` with the cylinder.

2. A device of the character described, and.

in accordance with claim 1 andwherein the l pump has a lever operated plunger.

3. ln combination withV a vehiclev having a pairof dirigible headlights, and meansfor operating the headlights from the .steering the enlargement of its post, said means having positive and rigid interengaging parts to limit the upward movement of the headlights to normal position, means on each enlargement and co-operable with each headlight to urge each headlight to normal position, and hydraulic mechanism for tilting the headlights.

4. In combination with a vehicle having a pair of dirigible headlights, means for operating the headlights from thev steering gear of the vehicle, each headlight having a post provided with an enlargement, means for pivotally mounting each headlight on the enlargement of its post including a central upstanding apertured ear carried by the enlargement, a pair of similar ears carried by the headlight and embracing the aperturedears, la pivot extending through the apertures of the ears, the enlargement presenting 'shoulders at the junction of the ear and enlargement, the rear portions of the headlights being engageable with the shoulders to limit the upward swinging movement of the head, the forward portions of the ears of the headlights being rounded off to permit downward tilting of the headlights, means on each enlargement and co-operable with each headlight to urge each headlight to normal position, and hydraulic mechanism for tilting the headlights. f

THOMAS C.' HOLLIDAY, 

